Lighting set



L. HAFT LIGHTING SET Filed March 11. 1921 MY/4222f Patented a. 21, 1924.

UNITED STATES v 1,512,888 PATENT OFFICE.

LESTER HAFT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LIGHTING SET.

Application fllefnarch 11, 1921. Serial No. 451,635.

I ments in Lighting Sets, of which the follow ing is a specification. Myinvention relates to the illumination I of objects, such for exampleasChristmas trees, and, more particularly, to an electric illuminating setof the type which has become known to the trade as a Christmas tree, ordecorative, outfit.

Such outfits, as they have long since become standardized, consisteither of. a single set of eight miniature lamps connected together inseries, about a foot apart, and with lead wires of convenient lengthconnected to the terminals of an ordinary screw attachment plug, forconnection to the usual lamp socket in a lighting circuit, or ofsixteen, twenty-four, or thirty-two such lamps connected together eightin a series and with the lead wires of each series tapped into ajunction box the leads of which are in turn connected with an attachmentplug. The usual 110 to 120 volt potential on the lighting Heretofore,therefore, it has been neces-' sary, in order to suitably illuminatelargeobjects or trees, or when greater brilliancy of illumination wasdesired, to purchase a numof these small outfits or one or more of thelarger outfits as required and to find a separate lamp socket, or othersource of current, to which to attach each separate outfit employed.Dealers have accordingly been obliged to buy, and to carry in stock,such an arbitrarily selected assortment of the four different sizes ofoutfits as each might think necessary for his trade.

The object of the present invention is to obviate the above, and other,defects in the prevailing standard practice, by providing an improvedorunitary outfit, of simple -construction and of low cost, which caneither be used alone or can be readily connected one to another in anindefinite series, without the 7 use of tools and with no more skillthan that possessed by the average adult or child, and which thus servesas a unit for a flexible system c pable of expansion and contraction asrequi d.

To this end, I make use of an outfit with a single series of eight lampsand I incorporate therein, and preferably as a permanentpart thereof, anordinary threaded socket or other standard electric coupling member, ofstandard lamp size adapted to receive the attachment plug of a secondoutfit, which coupling member is connected in multiple with the leadwires of the outfit so that a second, and

each additional, outfit connected on thereto will receive across itsterminals the full voltage of the lighting circuit to which the out fitis attached. I

As a secondary feature I provide each outfit with a screw cap or plug ofinsulating material which is inserted in the socket and is intended toremain therein until its removal is required for the attachment to thesocket of a second outfit, thus safeguarding against accidental shock orshort-circuit when the outfit is in use. A

The invention willbe clearly understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings wherein Figure l is a view, largely diagrammatic, of one formof my improved lighting set or unit; Fig. 2 is a similar view of aslightly modified form thereof; and Fig. 3 is a detached side view ofthe screw cap usually provided with each outfit.

As here illustrated the screw plug 10, an ordinary attachment plugadapted to be inserted in any standard socket in the usual lightingcircuit, the two lead wires 11 attached to the terminals of the plug,and the miniature lamps 12 connected together in series constitute whathas been referred to as the standard eightdamp or single series lightingoutfit, the lead wires thereof being covered in the usual manner eitherseparately or in the form of a duplex cord or cable. Incorporated in andforming a part of this outfit is a threaded socket 13, adapted toreceive the attachment plug 10, or a similar, attachment plug of asecond lighting outfit, the terminals of which are connected in multiplewith the lead wires 11 by branch-lead wires 11. The form shown in Fig.2--differs from that illustrated in Fig. 1 only in the fact that thebranch lead wires to the socket are attached to the main 'lead wires ofthe outfit within the attachscrew cap or plug 14, of any suitableinsulating material or composition, is preferably provided with eachoutfit, screwed into the socket 13 where it is expected to remain untilits removal is re-' quired for the attachment tothe socket of the plugof a second outfit, thus protecting the metallic parts of the socketfrom injury during handling and safeguarding against accidents 'fromshock or short-circuit when the outfit is in use.

Among the new and beneficial results produced by my improved or unitarylight-- ing set may be mentioned the followmg: In the first place,production and marketing are simplified and cheapened, since, the

sets being all of a singlesize and standard, the old junction box iselimlnated and it is no longer necessary to make sets of differentsizesand to provide different sized boxes for different sized sets.Again, jobbers and retailers are relieved from the necessity of buyingand carrying in stock, as formerly, a quantity of each of four differentsized outfits, thus reducing the size of the stock which they arerequired to carry andrendering it all saleable. And, finally, itprovides a flexible system of illumination, easily manipulated withouttools and with only the skill possessed by the average child, whichpermits consumers to first purchase a small equipment at a minimuminitial expenditure and then to add thereto from time to time by thepurchase of more sets and, for any occasion, to connect up as many orfew sets as required and to attach the entire series to a single lampsocket or other outlet from a 1i hting .circuit, the eight lamps in eachset uniformly receiving theentire voltage on the drcuit, and which alsofacilitates the making of repairs, when a lamp breaks down in use, sincefor the purpose it is only necessary to disconnect the-eight-lamp setin'which the defective lamp is found instead of hav: ing to take down,outfit of say lamps.

being as formerly, the entire twenty-four or thirty-two It will, ofcourse, be'understood that any of the ordinary forms of quick detachableconnectors may be used in the place of and as an equivalent for thescrew attachment plug, and that when such other form of connector isused the proper complementary connectingmember is to be substituted forthe threaded socket here shown and described by way of example. I

What I claim as new, and desire to se-' cure by Letters Patent, is

1. A unitary Christmas tree lighting set comprising an attachment plugadapted to be inserted in a standard lamp socket, a plurality ofminiature lamps connected to-' gether in series, lead wires connectingsaid lamps with the circuit terminals of the attachment plug, 'acomplementary attachjment member adapted to receive the similarattachment plug of a second lighting set, i

tachment plug, lead wires, and miniature lamps connected'together'inseries, of a complementar attachment member connected in multiplli withsaid lead wires and a cap of insulating material adapted to be,insert'ed in said complementary attachment member to protect it from inury and as a safeguard against accidents om shock or I short circuit.

In testimon whereof, I have aflixed-my signature tot is specification. I

LESTER vHAFT.

' and lead wires connecting the terminals of

